12 Custom Honda CB1000R Builds That You Will Never Forget
If you have been having difficulty coming up with ideas of how to customize the latest iteration of the Honda CB1000R, consider your imagination sparked. These 12 custom Honda CB1000R motorcycles are part of the Wheels & Waves international motorcycle show in Biarritz, France, and they are unforgettable.
While we might not think of the southwest corner of France on the Bay of Biscay as a center of motorcycle, surfing, and skateboard culture, the Wheels & Waves show might convince us otherwise. The show features flat track racing, custom motorcycles, surfing competition, and live music to entertain the 15,000 attendees.
During the 8th edition of Wheels & Waves, Honda Moto Europe celebrated the 50th anniversary of the iconic Honda CB750 inline-4. The 2019 Honda CB1000R is a direct descendant of the original CB750, and is part of the Honda Neo-Sports Café series.
Being the Editor of Ultimate Motorcycling, I’ve appointed myself as the sole arbitrary judge, in charge of putting them in order. I judged the 12 custom Honda CB1000Rs by appearance, rideability, originality, and most importantly, my taste. The best part is that even the 12th place finisher is truly a winner. So, here are a dozen examples of what can be done with the Honda CB1000R platform by customizers with a wide variety of inspirations.
- Brivermo Motors Africa Four CRF1000R. The description “on steroids” is undoubtedly overused, but it is difficult to describe the Brivermo Motors Africa Four CRF1000R any other way. That’s a front end from a CRF450R motocrosser, plus a one-off exhaust with a carbon-fiber muffler. Continental TKC80s put the power to the dirt on this highly aggressive ADV-inspired motorcycle from Switzerland.
- National Motos Endurance Team Replica. With paint patterned after the National Motos Honda taken to a win in the 2006 Le Mans 24-hour endurance race, this French-built Endurance Team Replica adds some café styling by adding wire-spoke wheels and a vintage Honda wing logo. Unlike the race-winner from 13 years ago, the Endurance Team Replica flies sans fairing.
- VC Moto Dirt Endurance. This Honda CB1000R is the unlikely combination of vintage endurance racing styling, along with knobby Pirellis. Custom parts on the Spanish VC Moto Dirt Endurance include the café-style fairing and rear cowling. That’s the number 48 written in Japanese characters on the number plate—a nod to Honda’s founding in 1948. I’m not sure about the café clip-ons and the knobby tires when it comes to riding, but it looks great.
- Honda Italia Tribute. What better way is there to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the CB750 than to have the Italian Honda distributor build a CB1000R that recalls the famous 1969 K0? The Candy Gold paint, three-dimensional Honda logo, and wire-spoke Jonich wheels bring the CB750 to mind immediately. While a four-muffler exhaust system would have been a nice touch, it is difficult to complain about the SC-Project twin mufflers.
- Moto Macchion Dani Pedrosa Replica. Although Dani Pedrosa is no longer part of Honda’s MotoGP effort, he is not forgotten. Moto Macchion’s Dani Pedrosa Replica from Italy celebrates the legendary Repsol Honda Team racer. The Race Seats perch’s #26 leaves no doubt which rider is being honored, and there’s also a plaque above the headlight to reinforce the message. SC-Project appears again with a titanium exhaust system. Rizoma contributed piecing, including the turn indicators and rearview mirrors.
- Hakuba Motor Alfredo. Just as the Italian Moto Macchion company celebrated a Spanish rider, the Alfredo by Hakuba Motor outside of Bilbao honors America’s two-time 500cc GP World Champion Freddie Spencer. The red, white, and blue paint scheme is pure-1980s Spencer, as does the Honda wing logo on the tank. Yet again, we see an SC-Project muffler, this time finishing off a custom header system. For a sportier ride, the footpegs and handlebars have been repositioned.
- Mallorca Motos Monkey Kong. Just the name Monkey Kong makes this custom CB1000R from the island-bound Mallorca Motors. Monkey Kong uses mirrors and turn indicators from the Honda Monkey. Even better, the raised front fender is from the little Monkey. The paint scheme is pure Monkey, as are the custom seat and gold fork legs, along with the chroming of the handlebar, rear mudguard, and muffler heat shield. Observers with keen eyes will notice that’s a Honda Africa Twin muffler.
- Werther Honda Monkey 1000R. One cool Monkey-inspired CB1000R deserves another. The French-made Werther Honda Monkey 1000R gives a nod to the Monkey with knobby Continental Twinduro tires, along with Monkey mirrors and a Monkey-inspired Glittering Blue livery. The tuck-and-roll seat is sweet, as is the Arrow twin-muffler exhaust.
- Horizon Racing Cergy 95 Café Chic. The brushed aluminum tank with the candy red stripe along the top is an appropriately striking touch to the Horizon Racing Cergy 95 Café Chic. Built just outside of Paris, the Café Chic sport Kineo wire-spoked wheels. The reflective Hurric twin-tube silencer is a nice touch with the thermal-painted headers. A fawn-colored leather seat and tailpad are sharp.
- Honda Motor Europe, Italy Limited Edition CB1000R. All the rest of the Honda CB1000R examples on this list are custom motorcycles. However, Honda Motor Europe, Italy is building 350 of these Limited Edition CB1000R motorcycles for sale. The tricolor paint job comes from HRC, while SC-Project contributes the muffler and carbon fiber parts.
- 3 C Motos Black Edition. If you like black, the 3 C Motos Black Edition is your #1 pick. There are three shades of black on this Honda CB1000R built in Bayonne in France’s Basque region. Setting off all the black is an Akrapovič exhaust system with raw headers and a nicely finished titanium muffler with carbon fiber details. There’s even a Black Edition plate, just in case you forgot the motorcycle is black.
- Fuhrer Moto and Gannet Design CB1000R-adical. Last but not least is Fuher Moto and Gannet Design’s cleverly named CR1000R-adical. There are some fantastic pieces on the Swiss-built CB1000R-adical, including an ultralight CeraCarbon fork and Rotobox carbon fiber wheels, plus an Akrapovič muffler. The CB1000R-adical got docked for points with me because the clip-ons sit extremely low, making the ergonomics look uninviting, and I just wasn’t sold on Walter Oberli’s handpainted bodywork—perhaps it looks better in person. Just to show I have no taste, the CB1000R-adical won Honda Switzerland’s CB1000R custom competition.
Let us know in the comments which custom Honda CB1000R you like best, and why!
12 Custom Honda CB1000R Motorcycles Photo Gallery
